Improvement in platform-scales



E. SAMPSON.

4Platform Scales.

No. 37,259. Patented Dec.- 23, 1862.

N. Patins. Prmmmhogpw. wasmngm. n.6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEI ELNATHAN SAMPSON, OF IATERFORD JUNCTION, ASSIGNOR TO THE SAMI) SON & TIBBITS SCALE COMPANY, OF GREEN ISLAND, N. Y.

!MPR\/EMENT IN PLATFORM-SCALES.

Specitication forming part ot Letters Intent N0. 37,259,

T0 @ZZ 'zu/2,0m, t may concern.-

Beit known that I, ELNATHAN Simrrsox, ot' Vaterford Junction, in the county of Saratoga and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Platform- Scales; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,V forming a part otl this specification, in which- Figure l represents a transverse verticali section of my invention, the plane ot' section being indicated by the line rc fr, Fig 2. Fig. 2 1s a plan or top view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion ot' the same in a larger scale than the previous tigures, the plane of section being indicated by the line y y, Fig. 2, in its application to a railroad-scale, Fig. a shows its application to a weigh-lock.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding' parts in the several figures.

The object ot' this invention is an improvement on that class of scales for which Letters Patent were granted tome May 24, 1859; and the invention consists in the employment of bell-crank levers, in combination with and connected to each other and to double-knife-edged vertical or pendent levers and to a graduated scale-beam in such a manner that by the action ot' said bell-crank levers the oscillating motion of the vertical or pendent levers is transmitted to the scale-beam perfectly correct, and by means which are cheap and easily put up, and which, when put up, are durable, not

liable to get out of order, and work with as little friction as possible, either up or down, rendering these scales equally applicable for weighing railroadcars, etc., and also tor weigh-locks.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation with reference to the drawings.

The platform A of this scale is arranged in a well below the railroad-track when to be used for a railroad-scale, or at the bottom ofa canal-lock when to be used for weighing canalboats, and it is constructed ot' two or more crossbars or sleepers, a, which support the rails, and which are supported by two longitudinal beams, b. The platform Ais inclosed by a framework, B, consisting ot' two lon gidated December .23, ISG?.

tudinal timbers, c, which are connected by suitable crossbars, d, and it is supported by Y cross-bars e, which are suspended from thc ends ot` yokes j' by means of links g. The 1 yokes fare notched exactly in the middle ot' their length, and they rest on knife-edges ZL, formed either on the upper or on the lower end ot'oscillatingpendent levers() C. These pendi ants rest by means ot' knife-edges h on the l longitudinal frame-timbers c, being supported in such a manner that they swing or oscillate freely on the same. Theknife-edges lz, which are situated between the knife-edges Il', are not in line wit-h the latter, as clearly shownin Fig. 3 ot'thedrawings, so that a strain or pressure exerted on the edges hcauses the pendants C C to swing in the direction of the arrow marked thereon in said figure.

The pendent levers C on one side ot' the y frame-work B connect by means ot' rods fi and links j with the short arm r ot' a bell-crank g lever, k l, and the pendent levers C by means of rods t" and linksj with the short arm 7c ofa bell-crank lever, L l', as clearly shown in Fig. 2 ot' the drawings. These bell-crank levers have their fulcra on pivots or knife-edge bearings in boxes m m', which are tirmly secured to one ot the cross-bars d of the frame-work B, andtheirlong arms l Z connect with each othe.' by a rod, n, and a link or rod, o, forms a connection between said arms and the short arm p ot' a bell-crank lever, p q, the long arm ot' which connects with the grad uated scale-beam. The scalebeam is so loaded that when no weight is on the platform the latter is exactly balanced, and it' a car or some other heavy body is broug t to bear on the platf'orm the action on the oscillating' pendent levers is such that they swing and exert a strain in the direction ofthe arrows marked on the connectl ing rods in Fig. 2, thereby causing the bell- 1 crank levers kl kf Z to turn in the direction ot' the arrows marked on them in the same iigl ure, and to exert a strain on the bell-crank f lever p q and on the scale-beam in such a di rection that the latter rises, and that it takes l a certain weight suspended from the scale 5 beam to balance the platform' with the load on. rlhe weight ofthe car or other heavy article on the platform can thus be ascertained. ,l It' my present invention is to be applied to a i weigh-lock, the pendent levers C are turned upside down, as shown in Fig. 4, and the platform is suspended from yokes similar to those previously described. By these means the connection between the pendent levers and the scale-beam is thrown entirely above theplatform, and by a suitable number ofbellcranks and connecting-rods the pendent levers 0n one side of the platform are broughtin contact withv those on the other side, this connection being effected at such a height above or below the lock that the same will not interfere with the passing vessels.

' By this invention the construction of my scales is considerably7 facilitated. Theplatiorm is suspended from the pendent levers so that the knit'eedge bearings are not liable to be iuinred by its motions, and all the connections of the pendent levers are ei'ected from their center in such a manner that the strain is equalized, and the tendency of crowding said pendent levers on one side is avoided.

Having thus fully described my invention7 what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The employment or use of bellcrank levers k l k l p q, connected by rods or their equivalents, in combination with the oscillating vertical or pendent levers G C', from which the platform A is suspended, all constructed, arranged, and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and described.

ELNATHAN SALWIPSON. Witnesses R. GAWLEY, TIMOTHY SHINE. 

